


Under the Fall

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-03-26
Updated: 2004-03-26
Packaged: 2019-05-30 21:16:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15105050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: The White House races to find its own... picks up right whereNothing As It Seemsends





	Under the Fall

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Under the Fall**

**by:** Rhiannon

**Character(s):** Abbey, Jed, Toby, OFC, Leo, Margaret  
**Pairing(s):** Abbey/Jed, Toby/OFC, Leo/Margaret  
**Category(s):** Romance, Drama  
**Rating:** PG  
**Disclaimer:** Jennifer, Marrah and any other new characters are mine... and this storyline in mine... the rest... not mine ::sigh::  
**Summary:** The White House races to find its own... picks up right where "Nothing As It Seems" ends  


Jennifer shuffled through the hallway of the West Wing, intent on seeing her godfather. She looked like hell, which accounted for the stares she had received from people along the way. But she really didn't care. She wasn't running a fever and, in her book, that meant that she could be up and around people again. 

She walked into Leo's outer office without paying too much attention to who was sitting at Margaret's desk, "Margar-" She cut herself off and blinked at the woman sitting at Margaret's desk. "You're not Margaret."

The blond shook her head, "No, I'm Shonda."

"Where's Margaret?"

"Jennifer Erin?" a voice boomed from Leo's office.

"Never mind," Jennifer muttered, walking into Leo's office. "That would be me."

"What the hell are you doing walking around here?" Leo questioned. "You're sick, what are you trying to do? Infect everyone?"

Jennifer stuck out her tongue and dropped onto his couch, "No, my fever dropped down... Thank you very much!"

"You still sound like a walking congestion exhibit."

Jennifer made a face, "Just for that, I'm gonna cough on you."

Leo looked at her, "Jennifer, you do that, and you won't be able to sit down for the next week."

"You're no fun," Jennifer grumbled. Then she gave an impish smile, "Where's Margaret?"

A distant look overtook Leo's face as he responded, "In California with your mother."

"Oh?" Jenn grinned, remembering the conversation she had had with her father.

"Yeah," he sighed as he got up from his chair and sat down next to her. "So..."

"So... You love her, don't you?"

"What?!!!" Leo shouted.

Jennifer gave him an innocent stare, "What?"

Leo jumped from the couch, "Jennifer Erin-"

"Leo! Leo!" Josh ran into the room, interrupting Leo.

Leo whirled around, "What?"

Josh caught his breath as CJ rushed into the office, "There was an earthquake..." 

"An earthquake?" Jennifer questioned, rising from the couch, her conversation with Leo forgotten.

"Where?" Leo demanded.

"California." CJ returned.

"Los Angeles." Josh chimed.

"The First Lady, Toby and Margaret are-"

"We haven't heard from Mrs. Bartlet's Secret Service detail or from anyone else..." CJ said.

"Okay," Leo snapped into action. "Get some information. I want to know where Mrs. Bartlet and the others are and I want to know NOW. Josh, get Sam and get on the phone. Jennifer, get into your office. You're going to have questions. Get a statement."

"What's the position?" Jennifer questioned, moving to the door.

"We are aware that of the earthquake. Mrs. Bartlet is in LA, but no other information is forthcoming. Put some polish on it." Leo commanded.

"Roger that," Jennifer hurried out of the room with Josh.

"Josh!" Leo barked.

The younger man hit the brakes, "What?"

"I know."

Josh winced, "I'm going to go jump off the top of the building now."

Leo shook his head, "Not until you get me that information, then I'll push you off myself."

Josh nodded as he ran out of the room, "Okay."

Leo turned to CJ, "Let's go brief the President."

  
**

"Over here!"

"This is him."

"We need some help over here!"

Voices began to reach him as he struggled to sit up. He glanced up to see several Secret Service agents rushing over to him. He allowed several hands to steady him as he rose to a vertical position. "What the hell-" Toby breathed as a medic bandaged a cut over his left eye.

The Secret Service agent standing next to him answered, "There was an earthquake, Mr. Ziegler."

Toby looked around, taking in his surrounding completely. The inside of the hotel was an ocean of shattered glass, wrecked furniture, and dazed and wounded people. He glanced back at the agent,  
"How bad was this?"

The agent looked him directly in the eye, "Bad, sir."

Toby nodded, "Do we have an official-" He cut himself off as a thought struck him like a lightening bolt. He looked around the lobby quickly, "Mrs. Bartlet and Margaret?"

"They entered an elevator with an agent moments before the earthquake-"

Toby cut him off, "Where are they?"

"They are not secure-"

"They are not secure?! You mean, you don't have them." Toby hissed. "They could be hurt, or worse,  
in that damned elevator and you don't know."

The agent let out a breath, "Mr. Ziegler, we know that they were in an elevator when the quake hit.  
We don't have radio contact with Mrs. Bartlet's agent nor do we know the physical condition of anyone in that elevator."

Toby took a breath and then let it out, "Okay... fine, then. Have you made contact with the White  
House? Do they know the situation?"

The young man shook his head, "No, sir. Communications have been temporarily knocked out."

"It's always something..." Toby muttered.

"However," the agent continued without pause. "We are working to reestablish communications at  
this moment. The estimated time on that is thirty minutes to an hour.

Toby nodded, "Okay... What about Mrs. Bartlet and Margaret? What's being done about that?"

"There's team searching for them now."

"Take me to the team-"

"Mr. Ziegler-"

"Take me to the team." Toby repeated with a tone that broached no argument. "I'm joining the  
search."

The agent looked conflicted for a moment. Then he nodded, "Follow me."

Toby followed the agent as he led him through the hotel lobby, "When you get communications  
established-"

The agent nodded, "I'll make sure that you are notified. You'll be able to speak with the President  
as soon as we can make contact available."

Toby nodded as they walked up to a group of men.  


**

"CJ!"

"CJ!"

"Is the First Lady in California?"

"Was the First Lady injured in the earthquake?"

CJ raised a hand at the bombard of questions, "Ladies and gentlemen, Mrs. Bartlet's Chief of Staff  
has a statement prepared for all of you. After she is done, I'll take some questions." CJ motioned  
to a person off to the side, "Jennifer Bartlet..."

Jennifer, fresh in a skirt and dress shirt, mounted the platform and rested her notes on the  
podium, "At one thirty this afternoon, Mrs. Bartlet left with the White House Communication's  
Director, Toby Ziegler, and White House assistant, Margaret Howard on a trip to Los Angeles  
California. They arrived in Los Angeles International Airport and proceeded to their hotel. The  
last communication from them was a phone call from Mrs. Bartlet to the President shortly after  
they arrived... From the information we have received, the phone call between Mrs. Bartlet and  
the President ended moments before the earthquake hit. There has been no further contact from  
Los Angeles and at this moment we do not know the condition of anyone in Mrs. Bartlet's party.  
However, we are hopeful that they are all safe and that we will hear from them shortly."

CJ nodded and stepped onto the platform as Jennifer stepped off, "That was good, Jenn."

Jennifer glanced up at the tall woman, "Thanks." Jennifer hurried out of the press room as CJ  
continued with the briefing. She made her way to her office and stuck her head in the door,  
"Patrick!"

Her assistant was in front of her in an instant, "Yes, Boss?"

"Where's my daughter?"

"Up in the residence with Zoey."

Jennifer nodded, "Okay... thanks."

"The President wants you in the Oval."

Jennifer sighed, "Okay, thanks... again."

Patrick smiled at her, "No problem Boss."

Jennifer hurried down the hallway into the West Wing. She walked through the communications  
bullpen was immediately flagged down by Josh, "What's up?"

"See if you and the President can calm Leo down, will you?" Josh asked. "He's already going to kill  
me... and now-"

"He's making life most difficult for all those unlucky enough to cross his path?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

"He made that girl at Margaret's desk cry."

Jennifer shifted her weight from one side, "Are you kidding me?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding you?"

"No."

"Well, then..."

"Fine," Jennifer groaned. "Is that all?"

"Yeah."

Jennifer moved off away from him and head towards her father's office. She passed by Mrs.  
Landingham's desk, "Is he-"

"Go on in, Jennifer."

"Thank you, Mrs. Landingham." Jennifer responded as she hurried into the Oval Office.

**

Jennifer sat with her father on a couch in the Oval Office. Jennifer leaned into the warmth of her  
father's embrace, content to let him comfort her just as he had when she was a little girl. Jed  
held his daughter tightly to him, thankful that she was here with him.

"Dad?"

"Hmm?"

"Why does this stuff keep happening?"

Jed shook his head, "I don't know Munchkin, I don't know."

"It's just-"

"I know," Jed interrupted her. "But, we have to stay positive. The Service is almost done trying to  
establish contact. We're going to here from them very soon." He looked up as the door to the Oval  
Office opened and his baby daughter walked through the doorway, "Hey, Zoey."

"Hey Daddy," Zoey replied, climbing onto the couch with her father and sister. She settled into her  
father's arms, "Anything, yet?"

Jed shook his head, holding his girls to him, "No, nothing yet." He took a breath, "Where are your  
brothers and Marrah?"

"Lindsey arrived a few minutes ago, they're with him." Zoey replied. She looked over to her sister,  
"He said he'd stay with them and watch them for as long as we needed him to."

Jennifer nodded, but said nothing.

Jed let out a breath, "Okay, that's just fine." He paused for a moment before speaking, "Your  
mother is going to be just fine. I'm sure that as soon as communication with LA is restored, we'll  
find out that they're all together, safe and sound."

Jennifer nodded, "Yeah."

"You're right," Zoey chimed in. She glanced at her father, "Dad?"

"What, baby?"

"Can this please be the last trip you let Mom go on?"

Jed and Jennifer looked a Zoey for a long moment and then both began to chuckle. Soon, all three  
were laughing with tears streaming down their cheeks. It was a moment of laughter that was so  
badly needed in the tense game of waiting they were all participating in.

Jed kissed the top of both of his girls' heads, "Yeah, I'm not going to let your mother out of my  
sight for a very long time. She just keeps finding all kinds of trouble to get into, doesn't she?"

"Yeah." Jennifer and Zoey answered in unison. They gave each other a look.

"Mr. President!" Leo barked as he barged through the door to the Oval Office with a knock.

"Anything Leo?"

Leo gave him a look of concern, "The earthquake measured a six point 4."

Jed let out a sigh, "Dear God in Heaven."

Leo nodded, "From what we're getting there was considerable damage done to downtown Los  
Angeles."

Jed tightened his grip on his daughters, "What else?"

Leo opened his mouth to speak when the door to the Oval Office opened once more and CJ walked  
in. She nodded to Leo and then turned to Jed, "Mr. President?"

"Anything new, CJ?" Jed questioned.

"No, sir." CJ shook her head. "The last thing we received was the scale of the quake and the report  
of heavy damage. There's been nothing new in the press room. Everyone is waiting to hear from  
LA."

Jed nodded, "Okay… okay."

Leo moved to sit down, but instead began pacing around the room. CJ moved to the couch and sat  
down across from the President and the First Daughters. She glanced over at Jennifer, "You did  
very well, Jenn."

Jennifer let out a breath, "I was shaking."

CJ nodded, knowing the full reason behind Jennifer's fear, "It didn't show."

"Thank you." Jennifer responded as the door to the office opened once more.

The occupants in the room turned to find Josh and Sam walking in. Leo rounded on the at once,  
"Well?"

"Well," Josh began. "Communications with LA are starting to be established. We should be hearing  
from the Service out there at any moment. Hopefully, we'll hear some news on everybody's  
conditions then."

Leo gave an impatient growl and then turned and resumed his pacing.

Jed held his daughters closer to him.

Josh took a seat beside CJ with a heavy sigh.

Sam moved to a chair nearby and sat down without a sound.

Everyone in the room remained perfectly still for a long few moments. Then the door to the Oval  
Office opened once more. This time, Ron Butterfield stepped through. Everyone looked at him with  
a silent question in their eyes. He nodded, "We have them, Mr. President. We've got Los Angeles."

**

Toby looked over at the big man next to him, "Tell me again why we're crawling through this  
elevator shaft..."

The big man named Forrest gave him a sympathetic glance, "Because there's no power in the hotel.  
We could just climb the stairs, but we really don't know what's happening with the rest of the  
hotel. The structural integrity could have been compromised. To say nothing of the fact that we  
have no idea were the elevator is."

Toby let out a groan, "I'm really hating my boss at this moment in time..."

Forrest nodded, "I hear you man..."

"I could be sitting safe and sound in my office." Toby continued to vent. "But instead, I'm working  
on a heart attack while climbing up an elevator shaft, looking for my boss's wife and for my other  
boss's demented assistant..."

Forrest just shook his head, he was getting used to Toby Ziegler periodically mutterings.

"Ziegler!" a voice called from down below. "Toby Ziegler!"

"What?" Toby called back down.

"We've got Washington, sir!" the voice called. "Agent Banks said that you were to be brought to the  
phone."

Toby sighed, "Nothing like climbing up an elevator shaft, only to climb right back down."

Forrest nodded, "Good luck, Mr. Ziegler." He sure didn't want to be in the other man's shoes... Who  
wanted to tell the President of the United States that his wife was missing in an elevator shaft?

Toby began the task of climbing down the elevator shaft. He finally reached the correct floor and  
was helped out of the shaft and into the lobby. He followed an agent out of the lobby and out to the  
street. He walked to a car where the same young agent he had spoken with earlier waited for him.

Banks motioned to the car, "We've got communication established through a satellite. They're  
waiting for you, sir."

Toby nodded as he climbed into the car. He took a breath and then picked up the telephone, "This is  
Toby Ziegler..."

"Toby?" Jed Bartlet's voice sounded like a bell tolling through the night.

"Yes, Mr. President?"

"Are you all right Toby?"

"Yes, sir." Toby responded. "I'm fine. I was in the lobby of the hotel when the earthquake hit."

"Have you seen a doctor?" Jennifer spoke out, not knowing what else to say, but wanting him to  
know that she was there.

Toby closed his eyes for a moment, "I'm fine, Bartlet."

"What about my wife?" Jed questioned immediately.

"And Margaret..." Leo chimed in.

Toby paused for a moment; he had been dreading this part of the conversation.

Jed picked up on the hesitant silence, "Toby?"

"Mrs. Bartlet and Margaret are missing, Mr. President." Toby said quietly.

For a moment, there was no sound from the other end of the telephone. Then Jed spoke, "Missing?"

"Yes, sir." Toby expounded. "Mrs. Bartlet and Margaret called down to me to tell me that they were  
coming down to the lobby... they were going to go shopping and wanted me to meet them in the  
lobby of the hotel. I walked into the lobby... a few moments later, the earthquake hit. The last  
contact from Mrs. Bartlet's agent was that they were all in the elevator on the way down...  
We've had nothing from them since then, sir."

"I see..." Jed replied slowly. "Is there a search and rescue?"

"Yes, sir." Toby answered. "We've been looking for the elevator ... we're still looking sir."

"Okay, Toby... okay..."

"Mr. President?"

"Yes, Toby?"

"I think you should call this an emergency situation. Power is out all over the place... there's no  
power in the hotel..." Toby went on. "We're climbing through the elevator shaft looking for Mrs.  
Bartlet and Margaret, sir... It's bad here, sir."

"Okay, Toby." Jed replied. "We're going to get help out there as soon as we can... We're going to let  
you go now Toby..."

"Okay, Mr. President."

"And Toby?"

"Yes, Mr. President?"

"Thank you."

"Yes, Mr. President."  
**

  
The first coherent feeling that Margaret had was an aching in her leg... No... in her ankle, her  
left ankle. She opened her eyes and found nothing but darkness. Feeling with her hands, she  
maneuvered herself into a sitting position. She ran a hand through her hair... Where was she?

Oh, yeah...

She was in an elevator... She had walked into the elevator with Mrs. Bartlett right before the  
shaking started and-

Margaret felt her body stiffen, "Mrs. Bartlet?" she waited a moment in the silent darkness. "Mrs.  
Bartlet?" She heard a moaning to her right. She felt along with her hands until her fingers made  
contact with what felt like someone's arm. She moved her hand up until she felt shoulder length  
hair, "Mrs. Bartlet?"

Abbey moaned as a voice began to penetrate the foggy depths of her brain, "Hmmm..."

Margaret felt encouraged, "Mrs. Bartlet, please answer me..."

Abbey struggled to place the voice, "Ummm..." she paused before the answer came to her.  
"Margaret?"

"Yes, it's Margaret." Margaret sighed in relief. "Are you hurt?"

"I... uh... I don't know," Abbey shook her head slightly. To Margaret's ears, Mrs. Bartlet sounded  
confused. Abbey's hand found Margaret's, "Are you okay?"

"I think I hurt my ankle... it hurts..."

Abbey nodded, "Okay..." Then a thought occurred to her, "What about my agent?"

Margaret shook her head, though she knew the other woman couldn't see the gesture, "I... I don't  
know."

"Jimmy?" Abbey said in a weak voice. "Jimmy, answer me..."

Margaret waited for a response. When there wasn't one, she moved away from Abbey, "I'm going to  
see if I can find him."

"Okay, Abbey breathed.

Moving gingerly, wincing at the pain in her ankle, Margaret drug herself over to where she  
remembered the agent had been standing before the shaking had started. Finally, her hands found a  
leg. She let out a breath, "I found him, Mrs. Bartlet."

"Okay... find his neck and check for a pulse." Abbey instructed quietly.

Margaret did as she was told and felt her way up to the man's neck. She pressed her fingers to his  
neck and waited... She felt nothing... She felt nothing. Her breathing became shallow, "Mrs.  
Bartlet?"

"What is it?"

"He's um... he's umm..."

Abbey knew immediately what was wrong, "Okay... okay... come back over here to me."

"He's... he's..." Margaret couldn't get past the thought.

"Margaret!" Abbey said sharply. Abbey struggled to keep calm. She had to keep Margaret calm and  
she had to get Margaret to do something productive.

"Ma'am." Margaret replied instantly.

"I need you, Margaret." Abbey responded quietly. "Come back over here to me."

Margaret moved herself back to Abbey's side, "What?"

Abbey took a breath, "I'm hurt... I'm pretty sure I have a concussion... Now, I need you to listen  
carefully to me..."

"Okay..."

"I'm going to go into shock," Abbey told her. "I'm going to get cold and I'll be sleepy. It's very  
important that I don't go to sleep... okay?"

"Okay," Margaret replied.

"You have to keep me awake and keep me warm... can you do that?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good girl," Abbey found Margaret's hand again and gave it a squeeze. "I need you to find our purses  
and then put them under my feet... My legs need to be elevated as much as possible."

Margaret took a breath and tried to draw in strength from the other woman, "Okay..." She tried to  
keep her thoughts away from the man laying nearby.  


**

Jennifer walked down the hallway of the White House residence. She wandered into the playroom  
and stopped in the doorway. She looked in and saw her daughter coloring with Lindsey.

The sat together on the floor in front of the television. Chase and Matthew lay, watching Disney's  
Robin Hood, slightly in front of them.

Jennifer shook her head, Chase never sat still for anyone but her mother... And even then, Abbey  
had to struggle to keep the hyper boy still at times. Jennifer watched for a moment longer before  
speaking, "Hey," she said softly.

Marrah turned and flew into her mother's arms, "Mommy!"

Jennifer held her daughter close to her, "Hey Monkey, whatcha doing?"

"Coloring with Lindsey," Marrah said. She looked at her mother, "I wanted to go to Leo's office and  
color with Margaret, but Lindsey said we had to stay up here."

Jennifer looked over at her friend with a question in her eyes. Lindsey shook his head ever so  
slightly. Jennifer nodded and turned her attention to her daughter. She carried Marrah over to  
where the others were sitting and sat down beside Lindsey, "Marrah, do you remember when we  
lived in California?"

The little girl nodded, "Yeah! We lived on the ranch."

"That's right," Jennifer confirmed. "Do you remember when the ground would shake sometimes?"

"Yeah."

"Do you remember what that's called, when the ground shakes?"

"An... earth..." Marrah struggled for a moment with the word. "An earthquake?"

Jennifer nodded, "That's right. Now, you know that Grandma and Toby went to California today?"

"Yeah, Grandpa sent Toby cause you were sick." Marrah looked at her mother. "Are you better now,  
Mommy?"

Jennifer took a breath, "I'm better, Monkey... I'm still sick, but I'm a little bit better... Uncle Leo  
sent Margaret to California with Grandma and Toby to help...While they were there, there was an  
earthquake."

While Jennifer was speaking, Chase stood and began to walk away. Lindsey reached out and caught  
the little boy. He held chase in his lap and turned the little boy's attention back to the cartoon on  
the television.

"Are they okay, Mommy?" Marrah questioned.

Jennifer let out a sigh, "Toby is okay... we heard from him just a little bit ago."

Lindsey tilted his head to the side at the sound of emotion in his friend's voice.

"But we don't know where Grandma and Margaret are right now, Monkey." Jennifer continued. "Toby  
is looking for them both right now... So is the Secret Service."

Marrah nodded and crinkled her forehead.

Jennifer looked her child in the eye, "Do you understand, Marrah?"

Marrah nodded, "I think so, Mommy... Mommy?"

"What, Monkey?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Anything you want..."

"Are Grandma and Margaret going to be okay?"

Jennifer didn't hesitate in her answer, "I think so, Marrah... If Toby has anything to say about it  
... then Grandma and Margaret are going to be okay."

Marrah nodded, "Okay, Mommy."

Jennifer kissed her daughter on the forehead, "Okay..." She let her daughter sit back down on the  
floor and motioned for Lindsey to follow as she rose from the ground.

Lindsey put Chase back on the pallet where Matthew had fallen asleep. He patted the little boy's  
head and followed Jennifer to the other side of the room. Lindsey put a hand on Jennifer's arm,  
"How are you doing?"

"Toby's okay..." Jennifer whispered. "He's okay... he told me that he was okay..."

Lindsey nodded, "He's going to come back to you, Gidge."

Jennifer's eyes took on a far off glaze, "Yeah... he is."

"That's a good thing..."

Jennifer nodded with a far off look in her eyes, "Yeah..." She focused her gaze on her brothers.  
"But... Mom... Margaret... they have people to come back to, Lindsey... What if..."

Lindsey shook his head, "No... no, what ifs Jennifer. Your mother will be back... and so will  
Margaret. Don't worry."

"You don't know Margaret, do you?"

"Never met her..."

Jennifer looked back at him, "Leo sent her to California because she's always wanted to go...  
She's so neurotic, Lindsey..."

"Sounds like you have a lot in common with her." Lindsey remarked dryly.

Jennifer didn't seem to hear him, "She's my friend... she took care of Marrah when Mom and I..."  
her voice grew softer. "And Marrah adores her..."

"She sounds pretty cool..."

Jennifer nodded, "She is..." Jennifer shook her head. "And Mom... Mom's the center of the world,  
Lindsey... She's what keeps my family together Lindsey... You know that..."

Lindsey nodded, "I do know that... I know what a fighter your Mom is... She gets it from her  
daughter." He smiled at the soft smile that graced Jennifer's lips. "And she will come back to your  
Dad... and to all of you... Toby will find them, Jennifer."

"Lindsey-"

"Hey, remember what you told Marrah?" Lindsey cut her off. "You told that little girl that if Toby  
had anything to say about it, then your Mom and Margaret will be fine... And I believe that...  
Toby is a determined man. And it would be my guess that he's determined to bring your Mom and  
Margaret back here to the people who love them..."

Jennifer nodded, "Yeah..."

"And bring himself back to the person who loves him..."

Jennifer looked up at him and nodded, "Yeah..." She took a breath, "Okay..."

**

Jed sat in his Oval Office, staring straight out into nothing. There was nothing for him to do at  
this moment in time. His children were all in bed, hopefully asleep. Charlie was in a guest  
bedroom in the residence. Jed had sent him to Zoey hours before.

CJ was in her office. Waiting for any information that broke. She was running Carol ragged  
checking the wire.

Josh and Donna were in his office... Jed didn't really know what the hell his Deputy Chief of Staff  
and the young assistant were doing.

Sam was in his office the last time Jed had checked... The young man was working on some  
speech. He needed something to keep him occupied. Jed knew that the two girls who worked in Sam  
and Toby's office were there too.

He was pretty sure that Leo was in his office.

And that left him... sitting alone in his office, waiting for any news on his wife. He took in a  
deep breath. He hated this feeling and, it seemed to him, that he was having this feeling more and  
more.

He had felt this anxiety when Abbey and Jennifer had been taken hostage... His fear for his  
daughter's safety had been overshadowed only by his fear for his wife's safety.

He hadn't wanted her to go on the trip... And he knew that she hadn't wanted to go either... He  
shook his head, he should have made her stay. If he had, then she would be in his arms right now,  
safe and sound.

Toby would be safe and in Washington, trying to figure out Jennifer.

Margaret would be in Washington too... Making Leo crazy...

Leo... Jed pursed his lips. That reminded him...

Toby had wanted him to declare the area a federal disaster... Someone from his staff needed to  
be there. Several people from the White House needed to be there...

He stared down at his hands for a long moment... He had a decision to make... And he had to make  
it now...

 ~~ 

Leo sat in his office, staring at the door that separated his office from Margaret's area. He half expected that, if he stared at it long enough, she would walk through the door. She would give that look she always gave him and then spout off some totally uninteresting piece of information or tell some completely inane joke.

He gave a half hearted chuckle as he remembered the joke she had told right before she had left...  
She had wanted to make him laugh, so she had resorted to a joke little Marrah had told her...

A sad look grazed across his face... and what had been his response? He had been cross with her  
and told her not to tell the joke again.

Leo shook his head, he wasn't going to think about that.

He thought about the look of pure joy that had bloomed on Margaret's face when she found out she  
was going to California... It had caught him off guard when she jumped in his arms...

Then... she kissed him...

And he liked it...

And he kissed her back...

And he hadn't wanted to stop... But then Josh walked in... Leo shook his head, and now Jennifer  
knew... And if Jennifer knew, then Leo knew, that there was an excellent chance that her father  
knew.

Leo let out a sigh... Margaret was fine. She and Abbey would be fine... They had to be... Jed  
couldn't get on without Abbey...

And he... He shook his head; he couldn't get on without Margaret.

At that moment, the door to his office flew open and Jed walked in. Leo rose at once, "Sir?"

Jed looked at him, "I'm going to California, Leo. We're going to California..."

**

Margaret stared out into the darkness, "Mrs. Bartlet?" she waited for a moment. When she received  
no reply, she tried again. "Mrs. Bartlet?" She moved her hand to Abbey's body and touched her  
shoulder gently, "Mrs. Bartlet?"

"Hmmm..." Abbey mumbled.

"Mrs. Bartlet, you have to stay awake."

"I'm tired," Abbey muttered. "I was up late..."

Margaret took a firm hold of Abbey's hand, "Mrs. Bartlet, you said it yourself. You have to stay  
awake. You told me that you had to stay awake. You told me to keep you awake. So-"

"Okay, Margaret." Abbey mumbled weakly. "I'm awake... I'm awake."

Margaret gave her head a short nod, "Good."

Abbey struggled to keep her eyes open, "How's you ankle?"

Margaret grimaced, "It's swollen... and it hurts a lot."

"Are you keeping it elevated?" Abbey asked automatically.

"I can't Mrs. Bartlet," Margaret replied.

"Why not?"

"We're in an elevator, Mrs. Bartlet..." Margaret replied. "Remember? There's nothing here to  
elevate my ankle with."

"Oh... that's right." Abbey said slowly. She shivered, "It's cold..."

Margaret tightened her grip on Abbey's hand. She was terrified for the woman next to her.  
Remembering Abbey's previous words, Margaret made up her mind. She leaned over and grabbed  
Abbey by the shoulders, "Mrs. Bartlet, I'm going to move you."

"Margaret-"

"I know, I probably shouldn't move you. But you told me that you were going to be cold and that you  
needed to stay warm." Margaret rambled. "So, I think that the best way to make sure that you stay  
warm would be to share body heat."

Abbey groaned, "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to lean my back up against the wall over here and you're going to lay in my lap."  
Margaret said. Silently, she added, 'And I want to be as far away from the other side of this  
elevator as possible.'

Abbey nodded, "Okay..."

"Ready?"

"Yeah."

Margaret drug herself over to the wall, dragging Abbey along with her. She stopped when she heard  
the painful groan emanated from the First Lady, "Mrs. Bartlet?"

"I'm... fine..." Abbey choked out.

Margaret felt the first wave of her initial panic begin to surface, "Are you sure you're all right?  
You don't sound all right. You sound like that hurt you. And that means that you're hurt somewhere  
else. I should try to see where... but there's no light. So I can't see-"

Abbey clutched at Margaret's hand, "Margaret... please. I'm okay. I've hurt my ribs... but I'm  
okay. Come on, stay together for me... I need you to stay together."

Margaret gave a nervous sigh and resumed her movements to the elevator wall, "Yes, ma'am."

"Good girl."

Margaret finally found the wall in the inky darkness. She leaned her back up against it and pulled  
Abbey into her arms. She held the other woman as tightly as she could, "Okay, we're going...  
we're going to stay here for a while."

Abbey nodded, her energy spent, "Okay..." Abbey felt her eye lids grow heavy. She fought to keep  
them open, but it was too much work. She let her eyes close and tried to slip off to sleep.

Margaret sensed the change in Abbey's breathing and reacted immediately, "Come on, Mrs. Bartlet,  
you've got to stay awake. Please don't go to sleep... I can't do this without you awake. You have to  
stay awake, Mrs. Bartlet."

"I'm too tired, Margaret." Abbey protested. "Jed and I stayed up too late."

Margaret shook her head, "No! You have to stay awake." She scrambled for an idea, "Let's talk about  
something..."

"What?"

"I don't know."

Abbey was silent for a moment, "Why did you kiss Leo?"  


**

"No, sir."

"Ron!" Jed thundered.

"No sir, you cannot go to Los Angeles." Agent Ron Butterfield insisted. "It's entirely too dangerous."

Jed set his jaw, "My wife is missing and you want me to sit here twiddling my thumbs?"

Butterfield gave his President a patient look, "Sir, I understand your concern for your wife's safety and her whereabouts-"

"If you did, then you wouldn't be trying to prevent me from getting to her!"

"But my concern is for your safety and your whereabouts, sir." Butterfield continued as if he hadn't been interrupted.

From the couch, Jennifer and Zoey sat watching their father argue with the head of the Secret Service. Zoey snuggled deeper into her sister's side and Jennifer responded by holding her tighter. She looked over at the other occupants in the room.

CJ was sitting across from them on the couch. The Press Secretary glanced over at Jennifer and  
the pair shared a similar look... One of apprehension mixed with exhaustion.

Josh sat next to her, drumming his fingers on his leg. He shook his head at the argument taking  
place in the room. He kept glancing back at Leo... receiving deadly looks in return.

Sam sat in a chair next to the couch, flipping through report after report. As always, he chose to  
focus his energy in one place. He studiously ignored the argument taking place above his head.

Leo stood a few feet away from the couch where CJ and Josh sat. He glanced at his watch every  
few minutes, glowering at anyone who made eye contact with him. He watched Jed and Butterfield  
go back and forth with one another, occasionally growling his impatience.

"I don't give a damn what you think!" Jed finally roared. "I don't give a damn what you want or what  
you think! I'm going to Los Angeles!"

"Sir, it's not-"

Finally, Leo reached his limit, "All right Ron, that's enough!"

"Sir?" Butterfield turned, startled by the unexpected interruption.

Jed turned to his friend at the same time, "Leo?"

Leo shook his head, "Mr. President, Ron... If I can come up with a compromise will the two of you  
agree to it and stop arguing with each other?" He paused a moment, "Mr. President, why don't you  
fly to Los Angeles. We can have a section of the airport closed off. We can land the plane and then,  
Mr. President, you can stay aboard."

"Leo-"

"Mr. President, hear me out."

Jed sighed, "Fine."

"You'll stay on the plane, thus allowing the Service to keep you in a secured location that is ready  
for take off at a moments notice. And you'll be in Los Angeles, close to Abbey. When we find them,  
we can board them at once and then take off." Leo looked at the two men expectantly.

Butterfield tilted his head, "If the President agrees to remain in Air Force One, then this is a  
working plan."

Every head turned to Jed. He let out a breath, "I'd rather be in that damn hotel looking for my  
wife."

Jennifer shook her head, "Dad..."

CJ finished the sentence, "Mr. President, you can't do that..."

"It's a compromise, Mr. President." Leo chimed in.

Jed glanced at everyone in the room. He let his gaze settle on his girls once more, "You two are  
coming with me."

Jennifer nodded, answering for Zoey, "We're coming with you, Dad."

Butterfield nodded, "I'll get the ball rolling, Mr. President."

Jed nodded, "Thank you, Ron."

"Yes, sir." The agent answered, walking out the door.

Jed looked over at Leo, "Leo, you'll be in charge-"

"Mr. President," Leo interrupted, holding up a hand. "I want to come."

Jed studied his friend for a long moment. 'He wants to find Margaret as badly as I want to find Abbey.' After a moment he nodded, "Okay... okay."

"Thank you, Mr. President."

**

Toby grunted as he climbed up the elevator shaft. He adjusted the flashlight on his belt and continued up, "What floor are we at?"

Shane looked up at him, "We just passed the seventeenth."

"And at what floor did Mrs. Bartlet and Margaret get on the elevator?" Toby questioned.

Forrest spared a look down at him, "Thirty-second."

Toby groaned, "I hate my life."

Lewis shook his head, "No, you don't. You just hate climbing up this elevator shaft."

"Yes, I do." Toby responded.

Forrest shook his head, "It could be worse."

"How could this be any worse?"

"We could have left you behind." Forrest replied. "You could be playing catch up right now."

Toby didn't respond. Instead, he focused on the climb front of him. He hated this. He wasn't an athlete. He would rather be listening to the President give a lecture about who invented peanut butter than climbing up this damn elevator shaft.

He shook his head and reached up to grasp the rung above him. He tightened his grip, 'If I'm not careful, I'm going to slip.' Half a second later, his grip on the rung slipped and Toby felt himself begin to fall.

"Toby!" Shane called from below him.

Forrest and Lewis looked down to see Toby begin to fall. Forrest tightened the slack on the line connecting the four men, "Toby! Grab the rung!"

Toby did as he was told and reached for the rung. He felt himself slam into the wall with a bang, his head making contact with the wall, "Damnit!"

"Are you all right?" Shane questioned.

"I'm fine... I hit my head." Toby answered, his heart beating furiously at the close call. He reached up and touched the place where a bandage covered his head. He felt a sticky wetness as it began to run down his face. "I opened up the damn wound on my head."

"Okay," Forrest said. "We're going to force through the next doorway we come to. Shane you can take a look at his head... Toby, you can rest for a moment."

"I don't need to rest," Toby said as they gingerly began to climb up to the door to the eighteenth floor.

Lewis worked on the door with a crowbar, "Are you still bleeding?"

"Yes."

"Then you need to rest."

"I'm fine," Toby continued stubbornly. "We need to find Mrs. Bartlet and Margaret."

"And we will," Forrest returned as Lewis pried the door open and climbed up. Forrest glanced down at Toby before he followed. "As soon as you take a moment to rest."

Toby scowled as he climbed out of the shaft and into the hallway of the eighteenth floor, "I'm fine, damnit."

Shane appeared next to him, "Sure." He handed a flashlight to Forrest and then turned his attention  
to the blood streaming down Toby's face. He pulled out a first aide kit and wiped up the blood. "You  
reopened the wound, Toby."

"Thanks, I wouldn't have been able to figure that out without you telling me." Toby responded acidly.

Shane didn't bat an eye, "I'm going to clean it up and apply a fresh bandage." He went about his job in silence. After a few moments, he looked back into Toby's eyes, "Okay... that should hold until we get back down out of this tower."

Forrest nodded, "Okay, let's take a break here."

Toby balked at the idea, "We have-"

"And we will," Forrest cut him off. "But you almost took a rather long fall a minute ago. We're all a little shaky from that. It won't do Mrs. Bartlet or Margaret any good if one of us goes tumbling down that elevator shaft."

Toby held his breath and his temper for a moment. Then he sighed, regaining his famous cool, "All right... all right."

**

"Leo and Jenny introduced us," Abbey breathed. "We met at a party in Leo's apartment."

Margaret look down at the woman shivering in her arms, "Was it love at first sight?"

Abbey chuckled, "Oh no... we got into an argument that night."

"What about?"

"Some stupid bit of trivia..." Abbey thought back. "He was trying to impress me... And I called him on something he said. We finally had to get Leo to settle it. He looked it up in a textbook..."

"Who was right?"

"I was..." Abbey smiled to herself. "I acted like I didn't want to be bothered with him... And it shocked the hell out of him that I had gotten the better of him."

"I can imagine, Mrs. Bartlet."

"Margaret... stop calling me Mrs. Bartlet."

Margaret stopped breathing for a moment, "What should I call you?"

"Call me by my name, Margaret. Call me by my name." Abbey switched subjects all at once, her mind many miles away. "Did you know that he was planning on being a priest?"

Margaret shook his head, "No... I didn't."

Abbey smiled, "His mother used to call me the girl that corrupted her baby boy..."

Margaret laughed, "She doesn't call you that now?"

"No," Abbey shook her head. "Now... now she calls me the girls who kicks her baby boy's butt when he gets out of line."

Margaret grinned, "That's a very interesting thing to call your daughter-in-law..."

"She could be calling me plenty of other things, so... I'm not going to complain." Abbey groaned out the last of the sentence.

"What's wrong?" Margaret questioned instantly.

Abbey shook her head, "There was just a pain in my ribs, that's all... nothing big."

Margaret scowled, "Abbey, I'm staring to worry a great deal about your condition. I mean, I'm not a doctor, but I'm beginning to think that there is more wrong with you than a concussion and hurt ribs. I-"

Abbey squeezed the other woman's hand, "I broke several ribs, Margaret... That's why I'm having as much pain as I am... that's also why breathing is becoming more difficult for me... But I'm okay... I'll be fine... Someone is going to find us very soon."

Margaret bit her lip, "I'm scared, Abbey."

Abbey nodded, "I know... I am too. But, if I know Jed and Leo, they're both orchestrating our rescue from Washington right now..."

Margaret let out a sigh, "Yeah..."

Abbey nodded and closed her eyes. Her breathing evened off and she began to fall asleep.

Immediately, Margaret shook her gently, "Abbey, come on... stay awake for me... Please... Abbey... I can't be alone... not with-"

Abbey struggled to keep her eyes open, "Okay... okay... all right..." She took a breath and winced, "Tell me... you never told me why you kissed Leo..."

"I...uh..." Margaret could feel her face grow hot. "It just seemed like the thing to do..."

Abbey smiled, "I imagine... he felt bad for hurting your feelings earlier."

Margaret nodded, "I know..."

Abbey thought for a moment before asking her question, "Do you love him?"

"What?"

"Do you love him?"

"Mrs. Bartlet, I-"

"It's a simple question Margaret," Abbey interrupted. "Do you love Leo, or not?"

Margaret tried not to fidget, "I... I..." She could feel her stomach dropping out of her body. "I... do you wanna hear a riddle, Abbey?"

Abbey nodded, allowing the other woman an escape, "Okay, Margaret..."

"Two fathers and two sons walk into a diner and order three hamburgers... They each eat one hamburger. How could this happen?"

Abbey tried to take even breathes as she thought about Margaret's riddle, "I... I don't know, Margaret... How?"

"It was a grandfather, a father, and a son." Margaret answered. "Two fathers and two sons."

Abbey nodded, "Very good, Margaret... very good."

Margaret started to answer when the elevator began to shake once more. Margaret held onto Abbey as tightly as she dared. Then, all of a sudden, the elevator dropped out from under them.  


**

"Sir?"

Jed looked up at his Secret Service agent, "What?"

The man looked down at him, "Mr. President, I still must tell you that-"

Jed shook his head, "Ron, I don't want to hear it. We've been going over this since we left Washington. You agreed to Leo's plan. I agreed to Leo's plan. I'll stay on this damn, flying tube but we still go to Los Angeles. Deal with it."

Butterfield stifled the sigh that tried to escape, "Sir-"

Jed raised his hand, "I am now ignoring you. You can go talk to the wall for all I care right now."

"Yes, sir." Butterfield walked off to talk with other agents.

Jed turned his attention to the window beside him... and his thoughts to his wife. She was fine, he told himself.

'She always manages to get herself out of any situation unharmed... She's probably sitting somewhere with Margaret wondering when the hell someone is going find them.' He nodded to himself. 'Yeah... that's how it's going to be ... that's how it has to be...' 

~ 

Leo sat off to himself. He had been listening to Jed and Ron Butterfield arguing since they took off from  
Washington. It had long since began to grate on his nerves. The temptation to tell them both to go jump without a parachute was quickly becoming harder to resist.

Finally, he had moved to another area of the plane. He found that his thoughts were focusing more  
and more on his red-haired assistant.

Margaret...

He had to get to her. He had to find her and make sure that she was all right. He was going to look  
her up and down to make sure she was physically fine. Then he wasn't ever going to let her take a  
trip without him again...

He shook his head and took a deep breath. What were these feelings he was having? Margaret was  
his assistant...

But she had kissed him...

And he had kissed her...

Leo sighed...  
~~ 

Jennifer sat on a couch talking into a telephone, "Yeah, I do know that Bethy." She used an old  
childhood nickname for her older sister.

The person on the other end sighed, "Mom shouldn't even be in the situation where she might get  
hurt."

"I know that too." Jennifer stated, glancing over at her baby sister and her father's body man. They  
were sitting together on the floor across from her, engrossed in their own conversation.

"Jenna?" Elizabeth said quietly.

"What?" Jennifer responded, equally as softly. Her sister rarely used that childhood nickname.

"Are you scared?"

Jennifer took a breath, "Yeah... I'm scared of what we might find out when we get there..."

"Do you think she'll be all right?"

Jennifer was silent for a moment... she didn't know how to respond to her sister's question.

"Jenna?"

"I don't know, Bethy... I don't know."

Elizabeth didn't say anything for a moment, "You know what I wish, Jenna?"

"What Bethy?"

"I wish... I wish Dad had never been elected President..."

Jennifer nodded, "I know... me too." She took a breath, "We can't let him know that, though..."

"I know... I know..."  
~~ 

Jed looked up when Ron Butterfield hurried towards him, "What?"

"There's been a series of aftershocks in Los Angeles, sir." Butterfield reported.

Jed felt all the air leave his body, "What about-"

Butterfield shook his head, "Nothing sir..." he paused for a moment. "The ground team says that  
they have momentarily lost contact with the search team that Mr. Ziegler is with."

Jed closed his eyes, "God, please help us."

**

"Donna!"

Donna appeared in the doorway, "What?"

Josh looked up from behind his desk, "Anything?"

Donna shook her head, "Nothing, there's been nothing yet." She walked further into the office and  
sat down across from him. "I'm really worried, Josh."

Josh nodded, "I know..."

"I mean, we know Toby is okay... And I'm glad that he's fine," she continued. "But... Mrs. Bartlet  
and Margaret-"

"I know, Donna." Josh sighed.

Donna looked up, "What was that thing with Leo and Margaret?"

Josh groaned, "Will I never escape that?"

"What was it?"

"What was what?" Sam asked, appearing in the doorway.

Donna glanced back at him, "The thing that Josh saw with Leo and Margaret."

Sam walked into the room and sat on Josh's desk, "Yeah, what was that all about? I mean, Leo  
was-"

"You have no idea what Leo was..." Josh cut him off.

"Well..." Donna trailed off.

"Well, what?" Josh returned.

"Excuse me?" a voice called from just outside Josh's office.

The trio inside turned to find Lindsey and Marrah standing before them. Josh's eyes met Marrah's immediately, "Marrah!"

"Uncle Josh!" the little girl exclaimed, running around the desk and flinging herself into his arms.

Josh picked the little girl up and sat her in his lap, "And what are you doing up this late?"

Lindsey responded as he sat down on the couch, "She wanted to see Uncle Josh."

Josh looked down at Marrah, "Is that true?"

Marrah grinned up at him, "Yes, it is!"

Josh hugged her tightly, "Then I am very glad you came to visit."

"Uncle Josh?"

"What?"

"When's Grandma coming home?"

Josh looked over at Donna for help. He had no idea what to tell the little girl in his lap.

Donna nodded, "Marrah, we don't know when Grandma's coming home... But Grandpa, Uncle Leo,  
Aunt Zoey, and Mommy went to get her and bring her home."

"Toby too?"

Sam nodded, "Yeah, Toby too... Toby's helping to bring Grandma home."

The little girl nodded her blond head, "What about Margaret?"

Josh found his voice, "Margaret too... Uncle Leo went to make sure that Margaret is coming home."

"Okay..."

After a moment of silence, Donna looked back at Josh, "So what was that thing with Leo and Margaret?"

Josh groaned, "If I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone..."

Donna nodded, "I promise."

Lindsey followed suit, "I promise."

Josh looked over at the man sitting on his desk, "Sam?"

Sam nodded, "Yeah, I promise."

"What about you?" Josh questioned the little girl in his lap.

"I promise, I promise." Was the reply.

"Okay..." Josh sighed. "I walked in on Leo and Margaret kissing and-"

"You walked in on what?!"

Everyone in the room turned to find a new person standing in the doorway.

CJ stared at Josh a moment longer, "You walked in on what?"

Josh whimpered, "I walked in on Leo and Margaret kissing..."

"Oh... my... God." Was CJ's reply.

"No, kidding." Sam chimed in. "Leo and Margaret?"

Donna shook her head, "I never would have ever thought of them..."

"And I would like not to start!" Josh exclaimed. "I've been traumatized for life enough as it is! The President grilled me on it and-"

"You told the President?" CJ asked, dumbfounded.

"I didn't mean to!" Josh proclaimed. "He tricked me!"

Donna looked at him, "He tricked you?"

"Yes, he did." Josh shot back. "And now Leo knows that the President knows. And Leo knows how the President came to know this and now Leo's going to push me off the roof of the House of Representatives."

Sam shook his head, "You better hope that... Actually, you have nothing to hope for, Josh. I don't  
think anything is going to save you from Leo."

Josh shot him a look, "Thanks so much for that vote of confidence."

Sam shrugged, "Hey, anytime."

Josh opened his mouth to reply when Danny Concannon flew into the room.

"CJ!"

CJ whirled around, "Danny! What the hell-"

"There've been aftershocks, CJ." Danny hurried through his words.

Everyone in the room was still for one long moment. Then, as one, they stood and hurried out of  
Josh's office.  


**

Forrest was the first man to pick himself up off the ground when the shaking stopped. He glanced over at the other men in his team, "Hey!"

Toby laid still for half a second before sitting up and speaking, "I'm fine."

"Shane?"

"I'm fine..."

"Lewis?"

"Yeah, I'm cool."

Forrest nodded, "Okay, let's get back into the shaft. I'd be willing to bet money that those aftershocks knocked something loose on that damned elevator."

The other men nodded and silently followed the big man into the elevator shaft. They climbed quickly, but carefully up the walls until Forrest's voice boomed loudly.

"Ouch! Dammit!"

Shane reacted first, "What?"

Forrest reached a hand to the top of his head and rubbed it, "Damnit." He moved his flashlight up and immediately saw what he had run into, "It's the bottom of the elevator."

Toby sucked in a breath, "Mrs. Bartlet? Margaret?" he called. The men waited silently for a response. After a moment, Toby tried again, "Margaret? Mrs. Bartlet?"

A muffled voice called back, "Toby?"

Toby let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, "Margaret?"

"Yes."

"Are you all right? Is Mrs. Bartlet all right?"

"I hurt my ankle," Margaret called back from within the elevator. "Mrs. Bartlet is hurt badly. She's having trouble breathing."

"Okay, we're going to get you Margaret."

Forrest looked at Toby, "What about Mrs. Bartlet's agent?"

"Margaret?" Toby called once more. "What about Mrs. Bartlet's agent?" For a moment, there was silence. Toby called again, "Margaret?"

"He's dead."

The men traded glances as Toby answered, "Okay, Margaret. Everything's going to be fine... we're going to get you out."

"Toby..." Margaret's voice trailed off.

"What?"

"The elevator dropped out from under us... I-"

Toby cut her off, "We're coming to get you."

Forrest glanced down, "We can't get inside this tin can from the bottom. We've got to be top side... Toby, you, me, and Shane will go up the stairs and climb down on the top. Lewis, you say at the next floor and keep an eye on this damn thing." Forrest looked at Toby, "Tell her we're coming."

Toby took a breath, "Margaret?"

"Yes?" came the immediate response.

"We've got to go up a floor and get to the top of the elevator. It's going to take us a few minutes, but we're coming."

"Okay... hurry... We've got to get Mrs. Bartlet out of here."

"We're coming," Toby promised before he climbed back out of the elevator shaft.

**

Leo sat in a corner of Air Force One, trying to concentrate on the phone call  he was in the middle of, instead of the argument taking place thirty feet away from him. 

"Leo?"

Leo jerked his attention back to the phone, "I'm sorry CJ, what did you just say?"

"Leo, I need to update the press. They know that the President is on Air Force One..."

Leo sighed, "The President will not be leaving Air Force One. He is not going to step one foot on Los Angeles, CJ."

"What about Mrs. Bartlet and Margaret?"

Leo paused for a moment, "Communications with the Los Angeles team have not been knocked out. The team is renewing it's search with speed. But they are confident that they will find Mrs. Bartlet and Margaret."

CJ sighed, "Okay... I-"

Leo cut her off, "CJ, hold on for a moment." He held his hand over the mouthpiece of the phone, "Jennifer Erin!"

Almost at once, his goddaughter was at his side, "Yes, sir?"

"Is your Dad still arguing with Butterfield about Los Angeles?"

Jennifer nodded, "Yeah, aren't you hearing this?"

Leo shook his head, "I'm blocking it out..." He pursed his lips, "Okay... I have an idea..."

Jennifer looked at him expectantly, "What?"

Leo shook his head and spoke back into the phone, "CJ?"

"Yes?" 

"Lemme talk to Josh."

Moments later, Josh's voice came over the phone, "Leo?"

"Josh what's the name of that old Air Force Base in San Bernardino?"

Josh hesitated for a moment, "You mean the one that was closed?"

"Yeah, what's the name?"

"Umm... Norton Air Force-"

"That's it," Leo cut him off. "Talk to you later." He slammed down the phone before Josh could reply. Leo looked over at Jennifer, "Okay, Munchkin... I've got an idea."

"What?"

"Just follow my lead." Leo instructed. "And back me up."

"Okay," Jennifer replied as Leo grabbed her hand and drug her over to where her father and Ron Butterfield were still arguing. They walked over them in time to hear Butterfield get interrupted by Jed.

"Sir, we cannot land at LAX. There's been too much damage done to the runways. It's not a secure location. We must return to Wash-"

Jed vehemently cut him off, "We'll return to Washington when my wife, my Communications Director, and Leo's assistant are on this plane, Ron... Not before. I am not going to leave without my wife, Ron. I will not do it."

Leo raised his hand, "Excuse me, Mr. President."

Jed glanced over at him, "What?"

"Ron is right, sir-"

"Leo! I will-"

This time Jennifer cut in, "Dad, stop! You've been arguing with everyone since with left Washington, that's enough!" Jennifer's voice took on an element of her mother's the more she spoke. "If you'll recall, Zoey is on this airplane. She's upset enough as it is and your tantrums aren't doing anything to help!" Charlie put his arm around his girlfriend at this statement. Zoey, in turn, leaned further into Charlie's side. "Everyone wants to get Mom, Toby, and Margaret back. And if you'd shut up for a minute and listen, you'd know that Leo has an idea!"

The entire plane was silent and all eyes were focused on the President and the elder First Daughter. After a moment, Jed nodded, "Okay, Munchkin... okay." He looked over at his Chief of Staff and best friend, "What do you have in mind, Leo?"

Leo squeezed Jennifer's arm, "There's an old Air Force Base in San Bernardino. Norton Air Force Base. It's been closed for a while now and it's rented out to special people on occasion for use. We can land there, Jennifer and I can take a chopper to Los Angeles and bring back Margaret, Abbey, and Toby."

Jed looked at Ron Butterfield, "Well? There's no point in me getting excited about this if I have to fight you about it."

"Dad..." Jennifer warned.

Butterfield nodded his head, "If we can get the entire base closed off and we can have some military there, then yes."

Leo nodded his head, "That can be arranged."

Jed let out a breath, "Okay, then make this happen people. Make this happen."

**

Toby followed Forrest and Shane as they made their way up the emergency stairs to the next floor. Forrest glanced back at the men behind him, "Keep your lights on the step in front of you." He instructed them.

Toby nodded, "How much farther?"

"Should be any moment, now." Forrest replied. He paused, "Here's the door." He opened the door and stepped into the hallway, letting the light from his flashlight chase up and down the hallway. He motioned for Shane and Toby to follow him, "Let's go."

The trio hurried down the hallway to the door to the elevator shaft. Shane held up his crowbar and, together, the three worked to separate the doors. Finally, the doors gave way. Inch by inch, the doors parted until they were open enough for the three men to move in between them. Forrest went first,   
clipping his flashlight to his belt so he could see what was beneath him. Toby followed him, carefully making his way down the elevator shaft. Shane brought up the rear.

"I see it." Forrest called up. He stopped his descent, "It's right below me, three rungs down."

"Okay," Toby breathed.

"Shane, I want you to climb down over Toby and help me them getting them out. Toby, you stay on the-"

"No," Toby interrupted Forrest.

"Toby, I-"

"Forrest, no." Toby shook his head. "Abbey Bartlet and Margaret are my responsibility. If anyone is going to help you get them out of that damn thing, it's going to be me. That's it, no discussion."

Forrest sighed and considered arguing with the man, but then decided against it. Toby Ziegler had been miserable through this whole experience, but he had sucked it up for this very end. Forrest nodded, "Okay, I'm going to climb down first. When I tell you to, come down. It's going to be six rungs for you... Shane, you stay on the rungs."

"Got it." Shane replied.

"Fine." Toby monotoned.

Forrest climbed down on top of the elevator, setting his weight on it gently. He didn't want to do anything that upset the delicate balance it seemed to have found. He studied the elevator cable for a brief moment and then looked up, "Come on, this cable is close to snapping."

Toby climbed down as carefully and as quickly as he could. He stepped down onto the top of the elevator and looked over at Forrest. Forrest shone his light on the top of the elevator.

"Help me pull this latch," Forrest instructed. Toby moved to help him and they pulled back the latch, opening the top of the elevator. Forrest shone his light inside.

Sitting on the floor were Margaret and Abbey. Forrest moved his light to the body to their right. He let out a breath, "Are you two all right?"

Margaret blinked up into the light, "Yeah... Toby?"

Toby answered immediately, "I'm here, Margaret... How's Mrs. Bartlet?"

Margaret looked down at the woman in her arms, "She's hurt badly, Toby."

"We're coming to get you." Toby told her. He looked over at Forrest.

Forrest handed him the flashlight, "I'm going to climb down, you stay up here and pull them out."

Toby nodded and Forrest lowered himself into the elevator as gently as he could. Forrest looked over to the redhead, "My name's Forrest."

Margaret nodded, "Margaret."

Abbey took a shallow breath, "Abbey Bartlet."

Forrest gave them both a reassuring smile, "Nice to meet both of you. Now, we're going to get out of here." He made a quick decision. "Margaret, you and I are going to get Mrs. Bartlet out of here... okay?"

Margaret nodded, "Okay, tell me what to do."

Forrest put his arms around Abbey, "I'm going to hold Mrs. Bartlet and, together, we're going to lift her up to Toby. Okay?"

Margaret nodded, "Okay..." She held onto Abbey's hand. "Abbey, hold on. Toby's going to get you."

Abbey nodded and squeezed Margaret's hand weakly, "Okay."

Forrest nodded and Margaret steadied herself as they stood. He gave Margaret a few instructions and, within moments, Toby had Abbey in his arms.

Abbey's face was contorted from the pain she was in, "Toby..."

Toby moved to the wall of the shaft, "I've got you, Mrs. Bartlet. You're fine." He helped Abbey move from his arms to Shane's and then moved back to the hole in the elevator. "Okay Margaret."

Forrest hoisted Margaret up and Toby grabbed her hand, dragging her out of the elevator as a strange sound caught his attention. He looked over at the elevator cable, "Son of a- Margaret, help me pull him out."

Margaret leaned over and caught the big man's hand at the same time Toby did. Toby hissed down at Forrest, "Come on damnit. The cable's about to go." Together, he and Margaret tugged as fast as they could. 

Forrest clawed his way out of the elevator and the three moved to the wall.

Shane held onto Abbey as tightly as he dared, "Come on, move your asses!"

Toby, with Margaret in his arms, reached for a rung on the wall and started to climb up. Forrest put his hands on the rung just as the cable snapped. He leapt to the wall as the elevator dropped from under them, "Damn!"

Three seconds later, they heard Lewis' voice calling up to them, "Forrest! Shane! Toby!"

Forrest took a breath before answering, "We're fine."

A moment later Lewis yelled again, "Did you get them?"

"Yeah... we got 'em." Forrest called back. "We're coming down..."

**

Leo and Jennifer stood just inside Air Force One with Jed and Zoey. The plane had landed moments before and now they were waiting on a helicopter to arrive. 

Jed glanced worriedly at his elder daughter, "You're taking some security?"

Jennifer nodded, "As if I could get out of his sight anyway." She answered, referring to her agent, Tim.

Jed nodded, "Okay... that's fine." He glanced at his best friend. "You two are going to be careful, aren't you?"

Leo nodded, "Don't worry, Mr. President. We'll be back with Abbey, Margaret and Toby before you know it."

Zoey, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, spoke up, "Dad, I want to go too, I-"

Jed cut her off with one word, "No."

"Dad-"

Jed shook his head, "No, absolutely not. I will not let you go-"

"Jennifer's going!" Zoey exclaimed.

"Jennifer's older, Zoey." Jed replied, falling back on his old explanation for his middle daughter's actions. 

"Dad!"

Jennifer grabbed her baby sister's arm and pulled her away from the two men. She drug her to a corner, "Zoey stop, you can't go."

"I want to go find Mom, Jenna." Zoey pulled her last trick out of the bag.

Jennifer shook her head, "No way, Zoey," she countered. "You have to stay here with Dad."

"But, Jenn-"

"No, we can't leave Dad here alone! He'll drive everyone crazy." Jennifer made a face, causing Zoey to smile against her will. "Besides, you need to keep Elizabeth up to date."

Zoey gave a heavy sigh, "Okay... fine."

Jennifer gave her smile and pulled her into a hug, "Good girl."

"On one condition..." Zoey amended.

Jennifer raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"Bring Mom back... and bring yourself back too."

"I will, don't worry." Jennifer glanced over at the young black man standing not too terribly far from them. "In the mean time, try to keep Dad from driving your boyfriend crazy, huh?"

Zoey laughed, "Yeah..."

Jennifer nodded, "Yeah." At the moment, she felt a hand on her arm. She turned to find her agent standing over her, "It's here?"

Tim nodded, "Time to go."

Jennifer gave a short nod, "Okay." She turned back to her sister, "Come on, help me escape out of here with Leo." The pair moved back to where Jed and Leo were standing. Jennifer found herself being pulled into her father's arms, "Don't worry Dad."

Jed kissed her forehead, "I always worry about you and your mother." He shook his head, "Be careful, Little Me."

Jennifer rolled her eyes, "Okay, Big Me." Jennifer moved to the opening to wait with Tim for Leo.

Leo looked at his oldest friend for a long moment, "We'll be back."

Jed took a deep breath, "Bring Abbey back to me, Leo... bring her back to me."

Feeling that this was a moment that required him to be a friend, instead of a Chief of Staff, Leo nodded, "I will, Jed... I will." With that, he moved towards Jennifer and Tim. Together, the trio hurried down the steps and ran for the waiting helicopter.

Jed pulled Zoey into his arms and held her tightly as they watched the helicopter rise up into the air and then vanish into the skyline.  


**

CJ gave a sigh as she watched the President's redheaded son fly across the room. She glanced at the little boy in her arms, "Is he always like this?"

Matthew gave him a serious look, "Yes."

"Does he ever calm down?"

Matthew seemed to consider the question very carefully, "When he seepin'."

CJ let out another sigh, "That wasn't the answer I had in mind, there Matthew."

Matthew copied her sigh, "'Orry."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she muttered, setting the little boy on his bed. "Okay, into the covers." She pushed back the covers, allowing the sweetly calm boy to crawl beneath the sheets. She kissed his forehead and then turned her attention to his twin brother.

"Chase, come on." CJ commanded. "It's time for bed."

"Nuh-uh," Chase responded. "It's time to play."

"No, it's time to sleep," CJ replied, carrying him to his bed.

Immediately, Chase jumped off his bed and scampered back to his toys. CJ's head dropped down to her chest. 'I'm never having kids,' she thought before going over and scooping the little boy up in her arms and carrying him back to his bed.

The moment after Chase hit the bed, he was off of it again. He giggled as he ran from CJ.

CJ let out a sigh, "Now I know why your mother named you Chase." She muttered as she caught the little boy by his pajama bottom. "It's time for bed, Chase Robert."

"Awwww..." Chase stuck out his bottom lip, pouting as he was carried to his race car shaped bed.

CJ dumped him on the bed once more and, this time, crawled on the bed with him. "This time, you're staying put, kid."

A voice drifted into the room, "Aunt CJ..."

CJ looked up to see a little blonde haired child standing in the doorway, "Hey, Marrah. What are you doing up? Where's Lindsey?"

Marrah strolled over to the bed where CJ and Chase were laying, "He was telling me a story and he fell asleep."

CJ nodded, "Okay... but you didn't fall asleep."

Marrah shook her head, "No."

"But wasn't the point of the story for you to go to sleep?"

Marrah nodded, "Yeah..." She tilted her head to the side, "Will you tell us a story?"

"Yeah! Tell! Tell!" Chase exclaimed.

"Pwease?" Matthew added in a much quieter voice.

"I don't know any stories," CJ protested.

"That's okay," Marrah replied, running over to a bookshelf. She grabbed a small, red book and ran back to CJ. She handed her the book and then crawled onto Matthew's bed with him. "Read that..."

CJ looked down at the well-worn book, "Okay... I can do that." She settled back into the bed as Chase snuggled into her arms. Opening the book, she began to read, "Once upon a time, a very long time ago now, last Friday, Winnie-the-Pooh lived in a forest all by himself under the name of Sanders-"

With a smile, Marrah interrupted her, "What does 'under the name' mean?"

CJ looked at the little girl in confusion, "Marrah, I-"

Marrah giggled, "Read the book, CJ!"

CJ looked down at the book and smiled. She glanced back at Marrah, "You read this book often, don't you?"

Matthew answered, "Every night."

CJ let out a sigh and continued to read, "It means he had the name over the door in gold letters, and lived under it."

Marrah recited the long known next line, "Chase-the-Pooh wasn't quite sure."

Chase gave a little growl, "Now I am."

"Then I will go on," CJ shook her head as she read it. 'Maybe kids weren't all that bad...' she thought before turning her attention back to the story. "One day when he was out walking, he came to an open place in the middle of the forest..."  


**

Margaret sat in an uncomfortable chair in a pink and white hospital room. She glanced down at the  
large neon pink cast that surrounded her ankle. She gave it a look of disdain ... neon pink. It would  
happen to her that they would run out of plain, old white and give her the choice of neon green,  
neon yellow, or neon pink.

She sighed and glanced over at Abbey. The First Lady had been banged up a little bit more than she  
had. Abbey had a concussion, three cracked ribs and about as many bruises as Margaret. The  
doctors had wrapped Abbey's ribs to keep them supported. She was asleep, sitting upright.

Margaret shook her head; she couldn't be very comfortable in that position, but it was better than  
the elevator.... Although, a nurse came in every hour to wake Abbey up and check her vital signs.

'But,' Margaret thought. 'She's alive... and there's nothing horribly wrong with her... And she's going  
to be just fine.' Margaret gave a little sigh... She was so tired.

For a moment, her thoughts drifted back to the elevator. They had left the agent in the elevator...  
She sucked in a breath, they had been in that little elevator for so many hours ... in the dark with  
a dead person. It had been Margaret's first real interaction with death.

She swallowed, willing herself not to think about the agent.

From across the room, Toby sat by the window talking into the phone, "Where's the President?"

At the other end, Josh answered him, "The President boarded Air Force One and made tracks to get  
there."

"He what?" Toby demanded, drawing a surprised look from Margaret. "Who the hell let him do  
that?"

Josh gave him an immediate response, "Leo."

"Leo?" Toby repeated, this time drawing Margaret's attention fully. "What the hell-"

"Toby calm down," Josh answered. "The President, Leo, Charlie, Zoey and Jennifer-"

"Were are they?"

"Umm... Norton Air Force Base, well, what's left of it anyway." Josh responded. "Leo and Jennifer  
are coming to get you three. The Presi-"

Toby cut him off, "Where's Marrah?"

"She's here, Toby." Josh replied. "And she's fine."

Toby nodded, more to himself, "Okay, Talk to you later." He hung up the phone and turned to  
Margaret, who was looking at him expectantly. "The President is at an Air Force Base not too far  
away. Leo and Jennifer are on their way here."

Margaret took a breath and tried to calm her the emotions running through her, "Okay..."

Toby looked her up and down, "Margaret, lay down. You look like you're about to fall out of that  
chair."

Margaret shook her head, "I'm fine."

"You're not fine," Toby informed her. "And Leo would have my head tacked up on his wall if he  
thought I wasn't looking after you. So, lay down."

"But, Mrs. Bartlet-"

Toby cut her off, "Mrs. Bartlet is fine, Margaret." He moved over to her and helped her stand. "And  
even if she wasn't, you'd be of no use if you're too tired to keep our eyes open."

Margaret sighed as Toby led her over to the other bed in the room, "Toby, I-"

"Stop trying to argue with me Margaret." Toby warned, helping her lay down. "I'm better at it than  
you are."

"I'm not tired," Margaret protested as she drifted off to sleep.

Toby shook his head, "Sure, you're not."  


**

Jennifer stared out of the window of the helicopter. Well, as much as she could see from her vantage point. She was sandwiched in between Tim and Leo, neither had been willing to let her have a window seat. She shook her head, it figured...

She looked over at her godfather. Leo was staring out of his window, lost in thought. Jennifer raised an eyebrow for a fraction of a second. Leo hadn't said three words since they sat down in this flying tin box. 

Jennifer leaned her head on his shoulder, "She's okay..."

Leo nodded absentmindedly, "Yeah, I know I just-" He cut himself off as soon as he relaxed what he was saying. Leo glanced down and saw Jennifer's knowing grin flashing back at him. He shook his head ruefully, "You're a real pain in the ass kid, you know that?"

Jennifer's grin didn't diminish, "I've heard that once or twice in the past, Uncle Leo."

Leo put an arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head as she realized into his side, "They're all probably fine... But it's the not knowing that makes you crazy."

"Yeah..." Jennifer let out a shaky breath.

Leo pulled her tighter, "If I was a betting man, I'd bet that your mother is just fine. She's probably running around down there, trying to help as many people as she can."

"Probably."

"Making her Secret Service detail crazy."

"Most definitely." Jennifer added.

"And has probably drafted Toby and Margaret into active duty." Leo finished with a smile.

Jennifer laughed, "You're probably right." She sighed, "But it's the not knowing Leo... it is the not knowing."

"I know, Munchkin... I do know."

Tim leaned over to them and spoke for the first time, "Jenn, Mr. McGarry, we're beginning our descent."

Jennifer and Leo shifted their gazes to the window. Leo sucked in a breath at the destruction beneath them. He shook his head... He had expected it to be bad, but not quite this bad.

Jennifer swallowed hard, "Oh my God... Leo..."

Leo shook his head, "Don't dwell on how it looks. It often looks a whole lot worse than it is, you know that Jennifer Erin."

Jennifer nodded her head, but didn't answer as the helicopter came to rest. Immediately, Tim jumped out in search of information. 

Leo and Jennifer sat quiet and still as church mice, waiting for Tim to come back. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Tim came running back. The look on his face was unreadable.

Tim looked at them for a moment, "We're going to need to get in contact with Air Force One and the President."

Leo waited half a beat before responding, "Why?"

"Because we're going to the hospital, Mr. McGarry."

  
 **

Leo winced at the voice coming over the radio. He looked over at his goddaughter. Jennifer had her  
head in her hands, her fingers stopping up her ears. Leo shook his head, 'I should be that lucky.' He  
thought to himself.

Jed's voice boomed into the tiny helicopter, "Why the hell weren't we notified? Ron Butterfield  
should have known the moment they got Abbey out. I should have known. What the hell kind of  
Secret Service is this? How could they go to the hospital, for God only knows what, and not think  
it just might be a good idea to let the President of the United damn States in on the plan?! Leo,  
are you even-"

Leo finally cut off his patience, "Damnit, Mr. President, there might have been other things a little  
more important to them at that moment than calling you up and telling you everything they were  
going to do!"

Jed yelled back, "Like what?"

"Medical attention comes to mind, Jed!" Leo yelled back, using his best friend's first name without  
realizing it. "Abbey and Margaret could be badly hurt and, I don't know about you, my first thought  
would be to get them help!"

Jennifer squeezed her eyes shut, she could almost hear her father's ragged breath over the radio.  
'God, don't let this be happening...'

When he received no response from his President, Leo pressed on, "And you have a daughter who, I  
would imagine, is sitting not to far away from you listening to every word you're saying. Am I  
right, Mr. President?"

"Yes." Came the soft reply.

"And if the daughter that is sitting beside me is any indication, I would imagine that Zoey is  
sitting with her head in her hands, trying to not cry." Leo went on, drew his goddaughter into his  
arms. "Am I right, Mr. President?"

After a moment, there was another soft reply, "Yes."

"Mr. President," Leo sighed. "I'm going to find Abbey and I'm going to bring her to you... I promise,  
old friend."

"Okay..."

"Go hold your baby daughter, Jed." Leo said softly. "And I'll hold this one. And we'll be back soon."

"Okay..." Jed paused for a moment. "Jennifer?"

"Yes, Dad?" Jennifer answered, still in her godfather's arms.

"Kiss your mother for me when you see her, okay?"

"Okay, Dad... I will."

"I love you."

"Love you too, Dad." Jennifer responded before the radio went dead from her father's end. She  
looked up at the man holding her, "Leo..."

Leo brushed her hair from her face, "Don't worry Munchkin, everything's going to be all right."

"How do you know?"

"I promised you old man, Jenna." Leo replied. "And I never break my promises to him."

Jennifer opened her mouth to reply when Tim leaned over to them. He held up a hand, "We're  
landing at the hospital. I'll go in first, when I find something I'll-"

Jennifer cut him off, "No."

Tim knew exactly what was running through her mind, "Jenn, no. You can't-"

Once again Jennifer beat him to the punch, "I can't sit in his cracker box while you look for my  
mother, my boy friend, and Margaret! I won't! I've sat still for long enough. I'm going in and if  
you're planning on stopping me, I'd suggest the back end of your gun because that's the only way  
you're keeping me in here!"

Tim gave a defeated sigh, "Fine, but you stay in between Mr. McGarry and myself."

Jennifer nodded at Leo's prompting, "Okay."

Tim gave her a warning look, "I mean it, Jenn. I'll drag your ass back here if you don't."

"Okay," Jennifer repeated as Tim opened the helicopter door. The trio hurried from the helipad to  
the hospital door. Once inside, a man dressed in a dirty suit headed their way.

Tim knew him immediately, "Banks!"

"Agent Banks," he introduced himself to Leo and Jennifer. "I'm on the detail."

Leo took over at once, "Where are they?"

Banks motioned for them to follow him, "On a secured floor, follow me."

As they followed Banks through the hospital Leo questioned the man, "What can you tell me about  
their conditions?"

"Mrs. Bartlet has several cracked and bruised ribs. The doctors taped her up to help them heal. She  
has a concussion as well. She-"

"What about Margaret?" Leo interrupted.

"A fractured ankle," Banks answered smoothly, through a long hallway. "Both ladies were bruised,  
however, they are both very lucky. They could have been hurt much more."

A thought entered Leo's mind, "What about the agent assigned to-"

"Dead," Banks answered. "He died in the initial earthquake. We believe he suffered internal trauma  
trying to protect-"

Jennifer took in a quick breath, "Oh my God... how long were they in there with..."

"The team reached the elevator approximately fifteen minutes after the second earthquake,  
ma'am." Banks answered.

Both Leo and Jennifer stopped walking at that statement. Jennifer felt her stomach turning and  
she reached out to Leo, "Leo..."

Leo took her hand, and with a deep breath, prodded her into movement, "Come on, let's get to  
them."

Jennifer nodded as they turned the corner. She looked at the suits and scrubs in the hallway and a  
figure caught her eye. A figure that didn't seem to belong in the sea of Secret Service agents and  
hospital personnel. A figure that she knew well, "Toby!"

The figure snapped his head in her direction and stared at her for a long moment. Then, in a choked  
voice, uttered one word, "Jennifer."

Jennifer took off running to Toby, weaving through the people. Toby moved to meet her half way  
and, with one swift movement, had her in his arms. Jennifer clung to him, holding him as tightly  
as she could. Then, she pulled back away from him, "Toby."

Toby looked her in her eyes, "Jenn-" He cut himself off by pressing his lips to hers as hard as he  
could, pressing her into him.

Jennifer tore her lips from Toby's and buried her face in his neck, "Toby..." She choked back the  
tears that threatened to escape.

Toby caught his breath, "It's okay... I'm here. Everything's fine." 

Jennifer nodded her head and pulled away to look at him. When she did, she noticed the bandage on  
his forehead for the first time, "Oh my God, Toby." Her fingers barely hovered above the wound,  
"You said you weren't hurt!"

Toby shook his head, "It's nothing, just a bump on the head." He smiled at her, "I promise. I'm fine."

Jennifer looked him in the eye, "Okay... okay..." She took a breath, "There's something we need  
to talk about, Toby..."

"Later..." Toby responded, looking over her shoulder and seeing Leo and Tim for the first time. "In  
the mean time, you get to explain to Tim why you did something to piss him off."

Jennifer winced, "Damn..." 

"What did you do?" Toby questioned as the two men approached. 

"I promised Tim I'd stay in between him and Leo." Jennifer answered, leaning her forehead against  
Toby's chest.

"Oops." 

"Yeah." 

Tim pursed his lips, "This is why I can't take you anywhere, Jennifer." 

Jennifer turned to face her agent, "Sorry." She offered. 

Leo cut off any reply the young man could give, "Where's Margaret and Mrs. Bartlet?"

Toby turned and pointed to the room in front of them, "They're both in there. Mrs. Bartlet has been  
asleep for about a half an hour. I made Margaret lay down a little bit ago."

Leo nodded as he opened the door. He made a conscious decision to check on Abbey first. He  
sidestepped so Jennifer could enter the room too. She moved to her mother's side and touched her  
mother's hand. Immediately Abbey's eyes opened.

"Hey Mom." Jennifer whispered, Toby standing right behind her. 

Abbey squeezed her daughter's hand, "Hey Munchkin, how are you?" 

Jennifer smiled, "Better than you." 

Abbey laughed very quietly, "You'd have to be..." She looked over her daughter's shoulder and saw  
Leo staring at the redhead sleeping in the bed next to her. "Leo..."

Leo's head snapped to her at once, "Hey Abbey, you're okay?" 

Abbey nodded, "Yeah..." 

"Your husband's making everyone crazy." Leo informed her. 

Abbey nodded, "And you?" 

"Just making myself crazy." Leo responded. 

Abbey smiled and glanced to her right, "Margaret..." she raised her voice just a tad.

Immediately, her senses trained to react to Abbey's voice, Margaret shot up out of bed, fumbling  
with the cast, "Abbey?" Then, she looked over at Jennifer and Leo. For a moment, she looked  
confused as to who they were and what they were doing there. She tilted her head, as if  
processing what this information meant to her. 

A half a moment later, Leo's eyes locked with Margaret's. They said nothing, however their eyes  
communicated everything that needed to be said. 

* Are you- * 

* Yeah, I'm- * 

* Don't lie- * 

* I'm not- * 

* The cast- * 

* It's fine- * 

* You sure- * 

* Yeah * 

* Okay * 

* I was scared- * 

* Me too * 

* Wanna hear a- * 

* No * 

* Okay * 

* Okay * 

There was silence in the room as the other three watched the Chief of Staff and his assistant.

Then, as if snapping out of a day dream, Leo looked at her ankle, "Hot pink?" 

Margaret responded immediately, "Neon pink." 

Tim stuck his head into the room, "Mr. McGarry?" 

"What?" Leo responded, breaking eye contact with Margaret and turning to the door.

"The President is requesting an update and an ETA on arrival." Tim replied. 

Abbey tilted her head to the side, "Arrival where?" Then she narrowed her eyes, "Where is my  
husband?"

Leo sighed, "Well, Abbey..." 

**

Leo gave an exasperated sigh, "Mr. President, giving you an inch by inch diagnosis of Abbey isn't-"

Jed's voice on the other end of the line interrupted him, "Damnit Leo, I want to know everything  
that's wrong with her!"

"Mr. President, I just told you-"

"You gave me the damned Readers Digest Condensed version!" Jed cut him off again. "Abbey knows  
you're talking to me and she's making you put a pretty pink bow on her injuries!"

Leo threw a look over to the wife of his best friend. Abbey just shook her head with a slight  
smile, she knew exactly what her friend was having to listen to.

"As a matter of fact," Jed continued. "I bet she's right in front of you right now isn't she? She's  
sitting there smirking because she's got you doing what she wants you to do instead of what I  
want you to do."

"That's very perceptive of you Mr. President." Leo said, he raised his eyebrow and Abbey shook her  
head. "As a matter of fact, why don't you talk to your wife right now?" With that he handed the  
phone to Abbey. "He's making me crazy."

"Thanks a lot," Abbey hissed before taking the phone. "Jed?"

"Abigail, thank God." Jed gave a sigh. He paused for a long moment, just allowing the relief to flow  
through him. "Are you all right?"

"I'm all right, Babe." Abbey breathed. "I have some cracked ribs and a concussion, that's all."

Jed was quiet for a moment, "I'm not too far away..."

Abbey smiled, "I know... We'll be there soon." It was her turn to be silent for a moment. "I love  
you..."

"You scared me." Jed countered.

"I know..." Abbey replied. "I was scared too... My agent..."

Jed stopped that trail of thought, "I know."

"But, Margaret was there." Abbey went on. "I wish I was with you..."

"I do too," Jed responded. "I love you too."

"I am okay, Jed." Abbey promised. "I'm not just saying that."

"You do know that I'm never going to let you go anywhere again, right?" Jed told her. "All of your  
daughters have requested that I keep you in the White House for the remainder of my term in  
office."

"Jed..."

"I'm serious Abbey," Jed replied. "I'm going to chain you to the damn bed so you can't get away."

"Oh, that the only reason for the chains?" Abbey prodded, laughter in her voice.

"Well, now that you mention it, I'm sure I can come up with some creative ways to use them." Jed  
responded. "Would make having sex more convenient... you already being there and everything...

"Convenient for you maybe." Abbey shot back.

"Damn straight," Jed returned at once. "Because we both know that, that is what is really  
important."

Abbey rolled her eyes, "Whatever."

"Don't roll your eyes at me, Abigail."

"Jed, how the hell-" Abbey started.

"The same way you knew I had my fingers crossed." Jed informed her before she could finish her  
question. "I know you too well."

"You're impossible."

"You're beautiful."

"You're deluded."

"You're sexy."

Abbey laughed, "You're just trying to get lucky."

"Is it going to work?"

Abbey laughed, "When my ribs heal, probably."

"Probably?"

"Yes, you are." Abbey laughed.

"Then my work here is done." Jed commented.

Abbey laughed, "I love you."

"I love you," Jed responded, willing the time to pass by quickly so he could have her in his arms.

**

Jennifer stood just outside her mother's hospital room, her eyes closed. They'd be leaving for Air  
Force One within the hour and then they'd be heading for Washington. She sighed, she never thought  
she'd be this happy to leave California.

"Hey."

Jennifer gave a small smile, "Hey."

Toby leaned against the wall beside her, "Why is it that your mother seems to be the main  
instigator for our relationship in some form or fashion?"

Jennifer gave a slight laugh, "I have no idea."

"Me neither," Toby was silent for a moment. He took a breath, unsure as to what he was trying to  
say, but determined to say it anyway. "Listen, Jennifer, about that thing with Lindsey, I-"

"Lindsey is a homosexual..." Jennifer said very quietly, her eyes still closed.

Toby stopped, his mouth slightly open, "What?" he asked after a pause.

Jennifer opened her eyes and looked at him, "Lindsey is a homosexual. That means he only dates  
men and-"

Toby cut her off with an impatient wave of his hand, "I know what the term means, Bartlet."

"I was just making sure." Jennifer returned. "You looked a little confused there, Ziegler. That's  
what I meant when I said Lindsey was safe..."

"Because he would never-"

"Yeah," Jennifer responded quietly. "That and the fact that I've known him since I was two years  
old..."

Toby looked at her for a long moment and then looked away. Very little ever really surprised him  
anymore... but this woman had a habit of doing just that. He shook his head, "I feel... stupid."

"Join the club," Jennifer sighed. "We really should get shirts or jackets made..."

"I'm..." Toby fidgeted, this was hard for him. "I'm... sorry."

For a moment, Jennifer said nothing. Then she leaned into him, resting her head on his chest, "I  
know... I'm sorry too. I didn't do a great job of handling this either."

Toby wrapped his arms around her, "You're a pain in my ass, Bartlet."

"That street runs both ways, Ziegler." Jennifer replied, relaxing in to him.

"But, for some reason, I love you."

"I don't know whether to be flattered or insulted." Jennifer remarked.

"A little of both," Toby replied.

"Pompous jackass."

"Stuck up princess."

"Kiss me."

"Okay."  
~~ 

Margaret looked over at her boss, "Did you really make that girl at my desk cry?"

Leo growled, "Who?"

"Jennifer."

"I'll kick her-"

"You made that girl cry!"

"I didn't mean to!"

"Did you apologize?"

"No, I-"

"Leo!"

"I didn't have time, Margaret!" Leo thundered. "I was trying to get on a plane to come out here and  
get you!"

Margaret was silent for a moment, "Really?"

Leo looked away from her, "Yeah..." He was silent for a long moment, "I'm sorry I hurt your  
feelings..."

It took her a moment to remember what he was talking about. She ducked her head slightly, "It's  
fine." She bit the inside of her cheek and then made a move. Very gently, she stuck her hand inside  
his.

Startled by the contact, Leo looked down at their hands. Very slowly, he lifted her hand to his lips  
and placed a wisp of a kiss on the top of her hand. He shook his head after a moment, "You're gonna  
be the death of me, woman, you know that?"

Margaret choked back the tears that had suddenly sprang into her eyes, "No, my job is to keep you  
alive and well."

Leo held her hand tightly, he looked into her eyes, "You do know that you're never going to leave  
Washington without me again, right? I'm strongly considering handcuffing you to a chair in my  
office just so I can keep an eye on you."

Margaret laughed, she knew he was trying to steer the conversation in a lighter direction, "You  
want to hear a joke?"

Leo looked at her for a moment with a small smile, "Yeah, Margaret. I do want to hear a joke..."

**

Jed paced in the interior of Air Force One, waiting for the helicopter with his wife to appear. He  
glanced down at his watch, "Charlie?!"

The young man gave Zoey an exasperated look, "They are on the way, Mr. President. They will be  
here any minute."

Jed looked over at him, his face crinkled into a frown. Then he glanced at his daughter, who was  
looking at him with big eyes. Jed sighed as motioned for her to come to him. Moments later, Zoey  
was once again in his arms. Jed took a breath, "Okay, I'll leave Charlie alone."

Zoey smiled into his embrace, "Thanks."

"You're welcome, Zoey. I know I'm making everyone crazy." Jed shook his head. "I'll just be a lot  
happier when your mother is on this plane and-"

"Mr. President!" Ron Butterfield called behind them.

Jed snapped his attention to him, "Are they..."

"About to land, sir." Ron confirmed as he made his way to the door.

Zoey looked up at her father with a thrilled smile. Jed grinned back at her and hugged her tightly.  
She looked over at Charlie and beamed at him. Charlie nodded his head, almost as happy as the pair  
in front of him.

Just a few minutes later, a familiar auburn haired figure appeared in the doorway. Zoey moved  
from her father's arms with an exclamation, "Mom!"

Supported by Jennifer and Toby, Abbey gave Zoey a tired smile, "Hey, Baby."

Zoey gave her mother an awkward hug, "Are you okay, Mom?"

Abbey nodded, "I'm fine, Zoey." Her gaze moved from her daughter to the man standing behind her.  
"Jed..."

For a moment, he didn't move. Then, suddenly, he was at her side. "Abigail..." he breathed.

She seemed to collapse into him, "Oh, Jed..."

Jed buried his face in her hair and, for a moment, simply breathed in her scent. Then he straightened and looked over at Margaret who was leaning heavily on Leo from the trip up the stairs, "Margaret?"

"Yes, Mr. President?" She responded, looking him in the eye.

He smiled at her, "Thank you."

Margaret nodded her head with a smile, "Yes, Mr. President."

Jed scrutinized Margaret and Leo for a moment. Something had happened between the two of them,  
that much was for sure. But just what that something was... that remained to be seen. Jed gave  
an inward shrug, time would tell on that...

Jed shifted his gaze to Jennifer and Toby. Jennifer had her hand on Toby's arm, their usual policy  
on anti-public display of extreme affection in full force. However, the aura that radiated from them was unmistakable... It was the same thing that people sensed when around Jed and Abbey...

Jed nodded, "Charlie?"

The young man untangled himself from Zoey's arms, "Yes, Mr. President?"

Jed held his wife in his arms as he moved deeper into the plane, "Let's go home."

THE END... 

**Sequel: "Unforgiven"**


End file.
